Bindi Irwin, an Australian conservation campaigner, is being candid about her health issues.

On Tuesday, March 7, the 24-year-old announced on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition in which cells similar to those found in the uterine lining proliferate outside of the uterus.

The Mayo Clinic claims that the illness harms the bladder and gut as well as the pelvic tissue and can surround the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

“Dear Friends, I battled for a long time wondering if I should share this journey with you in such a public space. It came down to the responsibility I feel to share my story for other women who need help,” Irwin wrote alongside a photo of her laying in a hospital bed with an IV in her arm.

Irwin revealed that she has been experiencing anguish for the past ten years while telling her tale. She claims that some doctors originally disregarded her concerns and that it was only after “several tests, physician visits, scans, etc.” that she learned what was wrong.

“A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman & I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain. I didn’t find answers until a friend @lesliemosier helped set me on a path of regaining my life. I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis,” she wrote, adding that the doctors found thirty-seven lesions and an ovarian cyst.

Last but not least, Irwin thanked those who had helped her and “encouraged me to find solutions when I feared I’d never climb out.” She expressed her appreciation for the medical staff’s recognition of her anguish.

Irwin said that she couldn’t leave because she and her husband, Chandler Powell, were “pouring every ounce of energy I had left” into raising their 1-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior.

“Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someone’s life, however, that is not always the case. Please be gentle & pause before asking me (or any woman) when we’ll be having more children,” she wrote.

“After all that my body has gone through, I feel tremendously grateful that we have our gorgeous daughter. She feels like our family’s miracle. I’m aware of millions of women struggling with a similar story. There’s a stigma around this awful disease. I’m sharing my story for anyone who reads this & is quietly dealing with pain & no answers. Let this be your validation that your pain is real & you deserve help. Keep searching for answers. http://www.endofound.org,” she concluded.

We appreciate Irwin’s willingness to share, and we hope for the best for her as she gets better.

Please SHARE this article with Family and Friends and wish her a speedy recovery!